Chapter 56: After the Passion Has Subsided

  Early morning.

  The black smoke in the sky above Wuchang gradually dispersed, and people who had been terrified for a night began to look out from door cracks and window sills. The corpses, blood, and bullet marks on the walls along the street told of the fierce battle last night. The streets were filled with bodies, and the bright red blood spread continuously along the stone slabs, surrounded by flies and mosquitoes. In some corners that were usually uninhabited, the naked bodies of men and women reminded people that no matter how just a war is, it is always ordinary people who suffer.

  A team of soldiers with white armbands began to clear the battlefield, burying the dead and leveling the rubble. Everyone was busy, but beneath the bustle, a strange atmosphere crept in.

  "Brother, what do we do next?" As the smoke and hot blood from a night of turmoil gradually subsided, the soldier quietly nudged his companion, who shook his head, looking up at the eighteen-star flag above the Advisory Council with a bewildered expression.

  Yes, it may sound ridiculous, but all the members of the civilian parties who participated in the uprising, including the Progressive Party and the Literary Society, which were said to have made detailed plans, found that everything had been centered on the uprising, and when the uprising was successful, not a single person knew what to do next!

  The leaders of both factions are either dead or ill at this moment, and it is impossible to find a single person who can command universal respect.

  Wu Zhaolin walked past the corner, heard the soldiers' conversation and walked into the Advisory Council with a worried expression. As soon as he entered the conference room, he saw Xiong Bingkun, Cai Jimin and many other party members who had never met before, and the conference room became like a vegetable market.

  "Liu Gong, you are everyone's chosen premier, why don't you change and become a governor instead."

  "It was agreed earlier that it would be Sun Wu, how can you change people?"

  "Sun Wu is now in hospital, otherwise let Jiang Yuwu come."

  "Jiang Yiwu didn't show up all night, where am I supposed to find him?"

  "In my opinion, I should immediately contact Mr. Huang Xing and Mr. Song Jiaoren, and ask them to come to Hubei to take charge of the situation."

  "Nonsense, the Manchu army is about to arrive, are you looking for them? When can they get here? Are we going to fight with the Manchus without a commander?" Everyone was arguing over who should take the position of governor-general. Seeing Wu Zhaolin come in was like seeing a lifesaver. Xiong Bingkun even grabbed him and said: "Fei San brother, you are the commander-in-chief, I think it's better if you just become the Grand Governor-General."

  Wu Zhaolin's face changed color, a small team officer who led the crowd to take down the governor's mansion and complete the uprising was already considered an extraordinary performance. Now that the soldiers had calmed down and started considering various aftermath matters, it was the most chaotic time for the military. With such a big task at hand, someone must have run to the concession to inform the northern government. Once the imperial court dispatches a large army to suppress the uprising, it would be a war involving tens of thousands of people. How could one person sit on top and convince everyone?

  Once the military's mind is changed, let alone the Northern Ocean that may come, even the remnants of Zhang Biao who fled to Liujiatun will return to counterattack. So he resolutely refused: "Everyone, I'm just a team officer, and even if I sit in this position, I won't be able to convince the masses, so don't mention it again!"

  "Which of you three has an opinion on who should be the Grand Governor?"

  Wu Zhaolin took a deep breath, and in fact, he had already made up his mind, but still pretended to think for half a day before saying: "The three towns of Wuchang have been the place where military strategists must contend since ancient times. After our success, the Manchu dynasty will definitely go crazy and counterattack, and all six towns in North Yangtze may be sent, so if you want to do this great commander-in-chief, you need someone who can stabilize the army's mind and lead everyone to resist the enemy together. In my opinion, there are only two people, Li Yuanhong, the commander of the Mixed Brigade, and Tang Hualong, the director of the Advisory Bureau."

  As soon as Wu Zhaolin surprisingly nominated a Qing official, discontented voices immediately rose in an uproar. Only Cai Jimin quietly exchanged a glance with Wu Zhaolin and stood up to say: "After the first victory, we should put aside our prejudices and choose the virtuous! Otherwise, without a leader, we will fall into internal strife. Therefore, I think we should immediately elect a Grand Commander-in-Chief and announce it nationwide, so that all regions can respond. If not, no matter how hard we unknowns struggle, other provinces may think us incapable of achieving anything, and the idea of starting a revolution to drive the whole nation forward will become empty talk."

  Cai Jiming's words had barely left his lips when the conference room fell silent. In fact, the high-level internal discussions had long ago considered letting Li Yuanhong take over as governor, so in the face of the literary society and Gongjin Hui being at odds and unable to find a suitable candidate, they could only agree with their opinions. Seeing this, the two men exchanged a smile.

  Tang Huilong, the director of the Advisory Bureau, was not yet forty years old. He was a clean and refined scholar who was usually straightforward and pragmatic in his dealings with others. As the leader of the Hubei constitutional faction, he was the first person everyone thought to invite. The Tang residence was not far from the Advisory Bureau, and after being frightened by gunfire for an entire night, Tang arrived at the meeting room with a pale face and quick steps. However, when he heard that they wanted to elect him as the Grand Governor, his normally refined face turned red with excitement.

  Isn't this a matter of life and death!

  The Advisory Council was originally a constitutional faction, and overthrowing the Qing dynasty to establish a republic were two completely different things. Moreover, the current situation is unclear, and these people will still need to hastily find a leader after taking action, which is unsustainable at first glance. Furthermore, he doesn't understand military strategy, and scholars who engage in battle only become more disorganized as they fight on, ultimately losing their own lives! Additionally, Tang Huaming is still an official in the Navy, so if the uprising succeeds and a national proclamation is issued, his head will definitely roll, therefore he also resolutely refuses to participate like Wu Zhaolin.

  Liu Gong's body is not good, Sun Wu lives in the hospital, Jiang Yi Wu has lost his men and it is unknown whether he fled or not. Tang Hua Long firmly believes that scholars leading troops will cause trouble, this makes everyone stunned.

  At this time, Ma Rong walked into the conference room and saw the quiet and solemn atmosphere inside. He didn't dare to stay for long and quickly pulled Xiong Bingkun out: "Found Li Yuanhong!"

  "What?!"

  Wu Zhaolin, who was leaning against the door, heard the conversation and slightly curled up the corner of his mouth.

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  "Adult, adult."

  In the Liu family home at Huangtupo, Liu Wenchu pushed open the door to see Li Yuanhong standing by the window looking north. He hurried over and said: "Sir, the soldier who delivered the message has returned. He says that Wu Zhaolin has received the letter and also had him bring a message back for you."

  The distant gunfire in Wuchang City that lasted all night had already made Li Yuanhong's heart and gallbladder shatter. After learning that Chuwangtai was quickly occupied, he knew things were going to go badly, so he sent a note to Wu Zhaolin, the commander-in-chief on the other side. This note was his only hope for a smooth transition, so when he heard back, he asked: "What did it say?"

  "Wu Zhaolin said, adults moral prestige he is aware of." Liu Wenzhi just finished saying this sentence, Li Yuanhong suddenly felt that his chest seemed to have fallen something, and after taking a long breath, he continued to ask calmly: "What's the situation outside now?"

  Liu Wenzhi said: "Just now, several family members who came back to report said that the Governor's Mansion was breached not long after the adults left last night. Zhang Daren defended the governor's office and fought fiercely with the rebels at Wangjiang Gate all night. At dawn, he retreated and took Li Xianglin's troops, the city garrison, Ma Biao's remaining troops, and over a thousand guards who had escaped across the river towards Liujiatang."

  "Liu Jiamiao? Is he going north?"

  Liujiatemp Railway Station is an important passage for land transportation connecting Henan, Beijing and other places. So when Li Yuanhong heard that Zhang Biao was going to escape, Liu Wenchu hastily said: "Not escaped, but set up a camp somewhere, saying that he would wait for the arrival of reinforcements before killing his way back."

  "That's not right." Li Yuanhong patted his forehead: "Isn't Yang Qiu's second battalion stationed there? Has it also been recruited by Zhang Biao?"

  "This humble official doesn't know either, but only heard that last night there were gunshots ringing out all night in Hankou and Hanyang. At this moment, both cities have been sealed off and entry is prohibited. This morning, I sent someone to prepare for contacting Yang Qiu to dispatch troops to protect Your Excellency, but before the boat even reached the dock, they fired warning shots and warned us not to approach. The telephones connecting Wuchang to those places are all cut off too. This humble official doesn't know what exactly happened either."

  "Could the 42nd Division have turned against us?" Lei Yuonghong's heart sank, last night Yang Qiu's phone call had reassured him a little, thinking that with Yang Qiu's 42nd Division as external support, and controlling two regiments of the 41st Division in Yichang, with Wu Zhaolin and other old comrades inside, his own life would definitely be safe. But now that the 42nd Division had problems, his greatest military external support was gone, and the cards in his hand were too few.

  Li Yuanhong thought it was too dangerous to stay here, so he immediately let Liu Wenchu find some clothes to change into and prepare to leave. Unexpectedly, before they could even tidy up their clothes, a shout came from outside the gate.

  Liu Wengi hastily took Wang Anlan out to see the situation, and after going out, he found that it was a large team of party members with white headbands, and his face suddenly changed. The leader Ma Rong saw the two people's panicked appearance and immediately rushed inside.

  Li Yuanhong, who had been hiding behind the door, was frightened. Just as he learned that the 42nd Division had problems, Wu Zhaolin replied, and the soldiers arrived. What if they were ignorant of the truth? Before he could escape, Ma Rong led a group of people to rush in, saw him disheveled, and sneered: "Governor Li, you won't be hiding under the bed, will you? Haha... Don't worry, don't worry, we are here to invite Governor Li to the Advisory Council for discussion."

  With a stern look, Li Yuanhong turned to the soldier beside him and said: "I have always treated you well, now I have laid down my military power and live at home in leisure, why do you still want to harm me?"

  Many of the soldiers were 41st Division troops, and when they saw Li Yuanhong, they naturally felt timid. They hastily said: "Sir, we really have come to invite you to attend a meeting, everyone has elected you as the Grand Governor."

  "Great Commander!"

  This is going to cost me my life! My original intention was to continue commanding troops and casually getting an official position to muddle through the days, but how did Wu Chao-lin directly push me to become the Grand Governor?! Scared, he hastily declined: "Your party has many talents, Huang Xing and Song Jiaoren are more prestigious than me, why do I need to be the Grand Governor?"

  Ma Rong saw him hesitating and wavering for half a day, suddenly bursting into flames, pulling out his pistol and shouting loudly: "If you obey, there is a way to live; otherwise, there is only one dead end! The leader please choose."

  Li Yuanhong looked at Ma Rong with anger and hatred, knowing that this pass was definitely not going to go through, so he gritted his teeth and changed into a green shirt and long gown, and put on a small hat made of melon skin, putting on an air of carefree wandering before heading out towards the Advisory Bureau.